Grand Prairie Daily News from Grand Prairie, Texas • Page 1

GRAND PRAIRIE TEXAS ALL-AMERICA CITY GRAND PRAIRIE DAILY NEWS Grand Prairie's Newspaper Since 1908 April 2 3,1977 CIRCULATION PHONE 262-1329 VOLUME 69 NUMBER 126 GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 1977 2 SECTIONS 15' Council will get light workout Tuesday night By MARK MANROE Staff Writer A relatively light city council agenda will greet retiring council member Phil Duncan at his last council meeting Tuesday night. All the other members of the council whose spots are on the April 2 ballot are running for re-election. The city is ready to extend Conover Drive west to West Freeway along with water, sewer and drainage facilities. Conover Drive, which is already the address of the public safety building, is also slated to be the location of the new municipal library, and the new sports center with its SO-meter swimming pool. THE CITY HAD funded $83,248 for this work, but the low bid, received from Charles Cohen, more than $1,800 higher at a cost of $85,065.90.

All portions of the street and utility work were bid by Cohen at a level well below the amount funded for the paving which was $12,157.90 higher than the amount set aside by the city. With a new library in the works, 'the future of the old library on Main Street is currently an open question. The future use of that building will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting at the request of council member Anne Greshamn. Several uses have been proposed. City council candidate Wayne Hanks has proposed the building be used for a senior citizen center.

There have also been proposals that the building hold a county law library, public meeting rooms and materials for the Grand Prairie Genealogical Society. City manager Cliff Johnson wants to tear down an old building located behind the old city hall and move those offices into the current library. Johnson said Friday there might be enough room in the current library to house these facilities along with a public meeting room. The Grand Prairie Soccer Association has asked the city council for help in covering the costs of its program. The association this year has grown to 2,135 players from last year's 463.

A letter to the council from soccer president Clifford Lee said the recent expanison plus moves to alleviate complaints from people who live near the soccer fields have "created an untenable financial problem for this association. In his letter, Lee said the association can cover more $13,000 of increased expenses, but needs help with $4,000 more. Judge denies dismissal motion in TESCO suit A motion for dismissal in the electric rate case pitting the Texas -jjlectric Service Company against the City of Grand Prairie was denied by 14th District Court Judge Fred Harless. The motion, filed by the city, contended that the case should be decided by the Public Utilities Comi mission rather than by the court. There is disagreement whether or not PUC has the right to hear utility rate cases that started before "PUC acquired jurisdiction in such if TESCO has filed suit against the over per cent rate crease passed by the council in 1976.

TESCO had asked 1 for an 8.97 per cent increase. 'The jury trial on the case was scheduled to begin in October, but was delayed at TESCO's request to allow an independent fact-finder, or master, to report to Harless on the case. That report is still not complete, and no trial date will be set until the judge receive's the master's findings. In the meantime, Grand Prairie electricity users are paying the higher rates requested by TESCO. This is due to an injunction granted by Harless against the city's smaller proposal.

If the final rate granted to TESCO is smaller than the 8.97 per cent increase, TESCO will have to refund the difference to consumers. IN ANOTHER LETTER, Lee has asked for city help in finding 30 acres to accommodate at least 40 soccer fields. Lee estimates by 1980 there will be 5,000 soccer players in the city. While noting that the $4,000 requested by the soccer association was "an unbudgeted expense," the city manager was agreeable to the association's request for help in finding an expanded play area. "It's a reasonable request," Johnson said.

"We need to do the best we can with working with this group." The council will hear a report from city attorney Clayton Hutchins on creating an ordinance requiring developers to provide, free of charge, park and school space in their develop ments. Duncan has pushed for the concept, suggesting the city base it's ordinance on a similar measure used by an Illinois community. The departing council member pointed out last week that where developers used to do this, they are now charging cities and school districts inflated prices for land that is often not suitable for parks and schools. The American Indian Center has asked the city for office space in Sol Spigel Village for its alcoholism program. A letter from program director Les Dillard says the space is available, but the city manager said Friday he doesn't know of any empty offices at Sol Spigel.

1 Daily News Pholos TEMPORARILY CLOSED- The sign on the door served to turn away a few would-be customers early Friday morning at Minyard's Food Store, 425 S.E. 8th, most unaware the reason for the temporary halt in business being that the store had no operating cash due to an early morning holdup. The car pictured in the inset is that used by the holdup man in his getaway and abandoned only a short distance from the store. Armed bandit cleans up with early morning job Weather forecast GRAND PRAIRIE weather for today will be cloudy and cool with an 80 per chance of thundershowers throughout the day. The early morning low will be near 60 with today's high in the middle 60s.

Winds southeasterly 10 to 20 mph. An armed bandit made a clean getaway after a successful holdup at Minyard's Food Store, 425 S.E. Eighth Street, early Friday. The holdup man appeared in Minyard's shortly after 8 a.m., armed with a pistol, and either a rifle or shotgun concealed under a trench coat. His arrival was timed just after the departure of an armored truck which had visited the store to deliver the cash for the day's operations.

Store officials have not released the amount taken in the robbery, however, the timing of the bandit's move most likely enabled him to catch the store with the maximum amount of cash on hand. He has been described as a white male, approximately five feet, nine inches tall, of stocky build and with sandy hair. At the time of the holdup he was wearing green pants and shirt, covered by a tan trench coat. He was also wearing glasses. According to Lt.

C. A. Mezzell of the Grand Prairie Police Department, the holdup was a very professional style operation, planned to get the maximum amount of cash and make a smooth getaway. The holdup occurred shortly after the store's doors had opened for the day, and was timed to follow the delivery of cash by an armored truck. The bandit was first noticed by a store employe, working in the office to put the just delivered cash in the safe.

Part way through this chore, he turned around and found the holdup man standing there, pointing a gun at him. The bandit demanded the money, both that in the safe and that not yet put awav, directing that it be placed in a small trash basket from the office. The bandit left the store and drove off in a waiting car, but only a short distance. Police found the car abandoned, the engine still running, less than a block from the holdup scene. They believe that he made a transfer to another car at that point, but have been unable to locate any witness to such a switch.

Police are investigating the crime, and are checking into the possibility that it may be connected to others which have occurred recently in the metroplex. recognizes no handicaps Horizons unlimited for legless lady pilot By FLOYCE KORSAK writer Jonathan Livingston Seagull has immortalized in the hearts of seekers of new those dare to those who will not accept the word Long before Jonathan was 'penned by Richard Bach, a one-year girl, Alverna Williams, left by a tragic accident, was battling to learn these same attributes- courage, independence and self-reliance. And as she grew older, the dream became important. She wanted to live a full life as a person, achieving everything normal woman want. Like Jonathan, she succeeded and even surpassed.

"i' always had a horizon in front of me," she says. "I never quite got around the bend in the road. It keeps me guessing what is farther down the road." Alverna's legs are off at the hips she measures scarcely 32 inches when she is She wears her shoes on her hands and i'walks" by swinging her torso between her hands and balancing her body. She walks at the gait of an ordinary pedestrian and never seems to tire. She lost her legs when she was 13 months old when she was run over 'By a street car.

Gangrene set in iwice, and the two resulting surgeries removed the last vestige of any legs "I don't have the hands of a lady," she smiles. "They have always had to serve as. my feet as well as my hands." She finished high school and one year of college. She married and became the mother of two children (both adult now). She drives her own car; is an accomplished bookkeeper; rode a motorcycle in a carnival mo- tordrome; was a trapeze star in Ringling Brothers Circus, and owns and flies her own airplane.

To see Alverna is to marvel. To know her is to appreciate. The sight of her perennial smile is her forte. The only thing you ever feel inclined to do for her is perhaps turn a door knob out of her reach and let her enter the door first. "I was never allowed by my family to feel like I had a handicap, she says.

"I grew up with a younger brother and an older brother and two boy cousins. So I did everything they did, including play baseball and swing from a vine into creek water. I am an excellent swimmer. "One of my real problems as a child was helping others cope with helping me. I always wanted to pray please give me legs, it would help solve everybody's problem.

I felt I got too much attention and some of it was right and some was wrong. Too much attention can wear you out. "I was a happy child. I could jump and climb around and take care of all my personal needs. I felt free and in no way handicapped.

"But once real trouble developed. Those who loved me thought I should wear artificial legs. It was sheer torment. They were strapped and buckled on my body and I was practically immobile. It took several years to convince my people that I was better off running free." While yet a teenager, Alverna traveling with her mother, worked in a carnival as a motorcycle stunt rider in a motor drome.

It was an era when the daredevil motorcycle rider entertained by riding on a perpendicular wall. "Later, I learned the trapeze and joined Ringling Brothers Circus where I was a trapeze star. I had a solo routine on account of the tre- memdous strength in my arms. I only weighed about 80 pounds and had a good sense of balance." The story of how Alverna became a pilot is filled with the frail- ties and strengths of human nature. Everything was against her belief in herself, and her determination.

"First, I was a woman, and in those days, there were few women ever thought about flying. Second, I had no legs and there were no planes for legless people. Besides, there was the Civil Aeronautics Board to contend with." r.H>. 4t St Daily News staff photo ALVERNA WILLIAMS sits on the wing of her Ercoupe she plans to fly in the Powder Puff Memorial Derby in July. In 1942 she entered Parks Air College in East St.

Louis, determined to become a pilot. She was encouraged by everyone she came in contact with there and came to know aviation's early greats like Glen L. Martin (Martin bomber), Alexander Sikorsky (helicopter fame) and Col. Roscoe Turner. A specially equipped plane, a Skyfarer, she named "7th Heaven" was ordered for her and "it really was that" she laughed.

"I had soloed after three hours and to have my own plane was almost unreal." The dream was short lived. Alverna learned that handicapped persons were automatically excluded from taking the test to get a pilot's license. There was one thing to the Civil Aeronatics Board. She did, and wort her case which set a precedent for physical waivers in aviation. No longer could a handicapped person be excluded before being given a chance to prove an ability to fly.

Alverna got her pilot's license in 1944 and by 1945 she had made her first cross-country flight alone. "I have no legs," she says, "but I do have wings. And I want to say right here, without a deep and ingrained faith in God, I would probably have wasted my life away, a helpless cripple in a wheelchair. I never get in or out of my plane today without a prayer of thanks to Him who is my strength. She has written the story of her life in book form which is almost ready to be published.

She calls it "Flying Yes, there is still another horizon for and like Jonathan Seagull, there's scarcely a doubt that she will succeed. She is making plans to fly in the Powder Puff Memorial Derby in July. The flight begins July 2 at 8 a.m. in Palm Springs, and ends at 6 p.m. July 5 in Tampa Fla.

Only members of the 99s Club, of which she is a member, can participate in the derby. This is to be the last such flight after 29 years. The club had originally planned to conclude the derbies last year, but the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum encouraged the women pilots to make this last flight as a memorial without prize money, only trophies as a reward. Ground bound without help Alverna Williams wants to participate in the last of the Powder Puff Derbies, a cross-country airplane race for women pilots, but this is one hope which may not be realized. Unless she is able to locate sponsors to help her defray the cost of the trip, she will have to sit this one out.

The cost for her to a participate in the race will come to about $1,000, more than she can manage on her own. She is hoping that local sponsors will be found so that she might participate, and promote Grand Prairie in the process. VOTE FOR DAVIS E. HOPKINS Councilman Place 5 April 2 Obligated only to the people Pol. Adv.

pd. by Davit E. Hopkint 1210 Egyptian G.P..